Sailing Safety
As members of the worldwide sailing community, we share in the grief of the friends and family of the five sailors who are dead/presumed dead from the yachting tragedy which occurred on April 14th, off the coast of San Francisco, during the Full Crew Farallones Race.
The tragedy is a reminder to us that the sport we love can be dangerous and deadly. Although most of us probably will never sail on a 38-foot yacht in 14-foot waves in the ocean, we cannot forget how quickly conditions can change to something we aren’t expecting, even on our local lakes. As we go about our sailing activities (regattas, classes, informal instruction, social sailing, etc.), this incident reminds us to keep “safety” the top priority in all that we do.
Proper preparations before we sail include:
- Knowing what the weather and wind forecast is
- Knowing your sailing capabilities (and not knowingly setting sail in conditions beyond your limits)
- Having proper safety gear, and wearing it
- Letting others know your sail plan
- Knowing how to respond to emergencies
As our Oak Hollow Sailing Club 2012 Season is about to officially begin this weekend, let’s all keep safety a top priority as we continue to “do what we love”.
Paul Walter
Commodore
Oak Hollow Sailing Club